This invention pertains to a safety warning and action system intended for use in a vehicle, such as an automobile or a truck, to produce both internal and external warnings, and, if need be, certain additional kinds of safety actions, under circumstances where it appears that the driver, for whatever reason, is no longer in control of the vehicle. More specifically, it relates to such a system that effectively monitors the position and orientation of a driver's head, and which, in preferably three, appropriate, timed stages that generally relate to three potentially, progressively dangerous emergency states, produces related warnings and generates related safety actions when that head position and orientation seem to be abnormal (non-attentive to proper driving).
According to a preferred embodiment of the instant invented system, which system is also referred to herein as a multistage emergency response and action system, a vehicle driver is provided with, and wears, something like a head band (headgear) on which there is suitably mounted an electrically-powered light source, such as a laser beam source. A photosensitive, light-beam monitoring (or sensing) structure which also forms part of the system is disposed within the vehicle, for example, on the inside of the windshield in front of the driver. So long as the beam from the source strikes inside the boundary of a defined non-emergency monitoring zone in the light-beam monitoring structure, driver behavior is deemed to be normal. However, and according to designed operation of the system of this invention, if the beam of light from the light source falls for a first predetermined time period outside the mentioned monitoring zone boundary, resulting, for example, because the driver's head nods forwardly or rearwardly, or to one side or the other, a selected pattern (preferably time dependent) of warnings and/or other actions begins to take place under the control of the invented system.
The preferred embodiment of the invention, as was just stated, features a system wherein the light-beam monitoring structure is indeed carried on the inside of the windshield directly in front of the driver. However, variations are, of course, possible, and the proposed monitoring system could be located in other areas, such as overhead the driver, behind the driver's head, or in some other place.
In the specific mode of operation which characterizes the mentioned preferred embodiment, when the system detects that the beam from the light source has fallen outside of the designated non-emergency monitoring zone, and where this condition exists for a certain, and preferably selectable, first predetermined time interval, the system triggers first-stage action, and delivers to the driver an appropriate warning inside the vehicle.
Either simultaneous with that inside warning (and/or other inside-the-vehicle activity), or preferably slightly thereafter (second predetermined time interval), depending upon how timing activity within the system is set to occur, the system implements second-stage action, and initiates an external warning, such as a beeping horn or flashing lights or both, to announce to the outside world a probable driver problem.
If even thereafter, for a third predetermined time interval, a danger situation continues to exist, that third time interval being also dependent upon how timing behavior is set to occur in the system, the system initiates third-stage action, wherein it positively takes driving control, implementing, for example, the applying of brakes, and/or the decelerating and/or the turning off the engine, etc.
Communication between the source light beam and the mentioned monitoring structure is preferably confirmed in any suitable manner to avoid system response to some extraneous light source. Various conventional approaches, such as one featuring selectable pulsed encoding of the beam from the system light source, can be employed to accomplish system isolation from spurious, external light activity.
Several modifications of the system of the invention are also disclosed herein--modifications which relate to the construction and positioning of monitoring structure, as well as modifications which involve both the monitoring structure and the headgear worn by a driver. For example, one recognized modified form of the system employs headgear which carries photo-optical transceiver apparatus (a light source and a light-responsive receiver), and which employs optical retro-reflector material in the monitoring structure. Such monitoring structure, collectively with the mentioned head-gear, are referred to as optical driver-condition monitoring structure.
Several other modifications, and various other important features and advantages which are offered by the system of this invention will be disclosed hereinbelow, and will become more fully apparent in and as the detailed description which now follows is read in conjunction with the drawings.